IBM Research uses supercomputer tech to “harness the energy of 2,000 suns”

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A collaboration of Swiss institutions, including IBM Research, has announced that it’s developing a highly efficient, low-cost photovoltaic system that’s capable of concentrating “the power of 2,000 suns.” The collaboration claims that the system, which is targeted at dry regions such as southern Europe, Africa, the south west of North America, South America, and Australia, will have an overall efficiency of 80% — and, miraculously, be able to provide a source of fresh water, too.

The High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system [PDF], or HCPVT for short, combines Airlight’s concentrated solar power (CSP) tech with IBM’s microchannel water cooling tech. In essence, the HCPVT system consists of a large parabolic dish that tracks the sun, with mirrored facets that concentrate the sun’s rays on a cluster of photovoltaic chips — which is where the real magic occurs. The HCPVT system uses triple-junction photovoltaic chips, which can harness the energy of three different wavelengths of light, compared to the single wavelength captured by a conventional single-junction photovoltaic cell.

Furthermore, these triple-junction chips (pictured right) are kept cool using IBM’s microchannel cooling, allowing the chips to continue operate nominally at a solar concentration between 2,000 and 5,000 times. This technology, called Aquasar, was originally developed by IBM to efficiently cool supercomputers, which require extraordinary cooling solutions to keep their densely-packed processors at an acceptable temperature. For complete details of Aquasar, see our explainer. In essence, though, each photovoltaic chip is cooled by a network of tiny, water-filled microchannels, “inspired by the hierarchical blood supply system of the human body.”

These microchannels are so efficient that the complete HCPVT system can recover up to 50% of waste heat, bringing the total system efficiency up to 80%. But that’s not all: The hot water, which reaches temperatures of 90 Celsius (194F), is then passed through a porous membrane desalination system, producing clean, drinkable water. A square meter of microchannel-cooled photovoltaic chips would produce between 30 and 40 liters of water per day. A large installation would provide enough water for a small town. This hot water could also power an adsorption refrigerator, too, providing air conditioning — though, in reality, the ability to produce drinkable water will probably take precedence over cool air.

Zooming out from the micro, the macro-scale details of the HCPVT system are equally important. According to IBM Research, this system is only economically viable because the structure is fashioned from concrete and the primary optics are composed of inexpensive pneumatic mirrors (thin, reflective metal films pulled tight with pneumatics). All told, this equates to a system cost of below $250 per square meter of mirror, which is apparently “three times lower than comparable systems.” The levelized cost of energy from the HCPVT system — the price that must be charged to break even over the system’s lifetime — is just 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

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Elijah Thomas

Why don’t I have one of these?!?!?!?

Damon

screw the 3rd world, they need one of these on every suburban block, and on every skyscrapers roof. 20 years ago, we had them any way, they were just used for tv, not fossil fuel independence. Why is every advance in clean renewable energy, invented to help Africa?

GatzLoc

Cuz, it’s profitable to have black people looking for a hand-out you havn’t figured that out yet?

Bomb it, then go fix it.

William Washburn

The idea wasn’t to use it FOR Africa but he gave an example of usable undeveloped realestate to put the plant on that has a constant source sunlight, i.e. NO SHADE

MrGhostz

Why are we not using this tech to power nieghborhoods!?!?!

some_guy_said

“the price that must be charged to break even over the system’s lifetime — is just 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).”

My daytime rates are about 20c a kWh in Phoenix. The system does seem a bit complex though. What is the maintenance like on this thing?

Robert Foy

non-related, but how is Phoenix? I am thinking of moving there in 2 months. How’s the job market there?

some_guy_said

depends on your field. The economy is above average but the jobs tend to be below average.

Summer is really hot. You’ll won’t understand until you experience it. Winter is nice, except the drastic day/night temp differential. (like 55 high to 20 degree low in one day.)

Culture is mixed and somewhat varied, but not all great. A lot of transplants. generally conservative and slightly racist.

North or East areas are nicer than West or South areas. You can go almost anywhere at any time, and probably be safe if you MYOB. Which is nice compared to the DC area where I’m from.

People value display of wealth instead of actual wealth. Which is annoying to someone like me, who drives a vehicle that is reliable and fits my needs, for example.

It’s not my favorite place, but it is what you make of it. I have roots here.

brekinapez

I like it when people give an honest appraisal of something.

some_guy_said

I’m here primarily because I really really like sunny days. So I have no reason to sugar coat the rest of it.

Nathan Brown

So, now we just have to find another 1999 suns to power this thing…

Pickybugger

Dude read it properly, it uses mirrors to focus the sun’s effective
energy 2000 fold. One sun x 2000 is the same in effect as having 2000
suns.

y666

(…) the system, which is targeted at dry regions (…)
(…) producing clean, drinkable water (…)

Magic. Pure magic.

(…) These micro channels are so efficient that the complete HCPVT system can recover up to 50% of waste heat (…)

So why all power plants arent using it? Not effective enough for them? Or maybe they produce so much electricity and hot water, that its enough for everyone? Or i know, its global conspiracy to produce more CO2…

Mr Sebastian, please write about things You know about, as You can easily spot the bullshit and commentators wont have to do it for You. IBM uses this sort of marketing (invest a little in bullshit, magical project to show IBM logo on top of bullshit, magical solution to something, product never appears, but impression stays) since i can remember.

Pickybugger

From what I understand the Aquasar system channels water through small ducts, it doesn’t produce the water. So how is it meant to be a water source? Maybe pump in salt water and get fresh water back from the desalination? (but what would happen to all the built up salts) If that is the case it’s not quite what you make it out be be in this article and would take a lot of energy to bring the salt water into desert areas. If it works by some other method though (perhaps by condensing moisture in the ambient air, but that would already be fresh water) that would be awesome.

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